Page 33 of Never Sleigh Never
“Hey Brie, I was just about to get in touch with you about the reindeer for this year. I have you down for nine reindeer. Is that correct?”
I press my lips together and tap my chin. “How many reindeer do you have?”
“Eighteen. Why?”
“I’ll take them all.”
“You want all eighteen reindeer?”
“Yes, we’re being extra reindeer-y this year.”
“You know Santa only had nine.”
If I take all the reindeer, that leaves Logan with none. I can’t chance it. “I know, but I expect to be so busy I’ll need two sets.”
“Are you sure that’s the reason? And not to freeze Logan out?”
“No,” I spit. “That’s not the reason at all.”
Henry chuckles. “I doubt that. Do you know that eighteen reindeer will be twice your budget?”
“Don’t worry about my budget. I have it all under control.”
“I won’t say no to the extra cash.”
“Perfect. Thank you, Henry.”
I hang up. From across my desk, Lauren flips through a folder of papers. “Do you have a restructured budget to accommodate the extra reindeer?”
No, Lauren. I needed to beat Logan to the punch, so I did this on the fly. “I’ll figure it out.” I wave her off. “Plus, the entire town will love the extra reindeer. They’re always a big attraction at the festival.” And Logan gets none. I rest my elbows on the desk and steeple my fingers together. An evil laugh sits on the tip of my tongue, but it might scare Lauren.
On our way to the Holly Jolly Festival grounds, Lauren and I stop at Sip and Sleigh. I need to reassemble my morning routine because Logan threw it off kilter with his fence post.
From behind the counter, Sloane takes one look at me and smirks. “I heard it was an epic failure shutting Logan’s carnival down.”
Seriously, do people have microphones and cameras covering every inch of this town? How did she find out so fast? “It didn’t go as planned.”
“Logan? What carnival?” Lauren asks.
“Oh, this is my assistant, Lauren.” I point to Lauren and then Sloane. “This is my friend Sloane. She also owns the coffee shop.”
“Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!” Lauren bounces on the balls of her feet, her gaze directed over my shoulder. “Is that?”
We said his name too many times, just like Beetlejuice. My nightmare before Christmas strolls through the door. I sigh. “Logan Crawford. Mount Holly’s very own hockey legend,” I say, my voice as monotone as a robocall.
Lauren’s gaze jumps from me to Logan and back to me. “I’ve been a huge fan since he got traded to Chicago. Do you know him personally? Oh gosh, can you get me an introduction?”
“No,” I deadpan.
“Hi Sloane.” Logan greets her with a wave.
“Hi Logan,” Sloane replies.
“Hi Brie.” He flashes me a dimpled half smile. One that can still turn my insides to goo. I hit him with my iciest glare. He leans down so only I can hear. “If you want to shut down my carnival, you’ll have to try harder than that.” He straightens and offers his hand to Lauren. “Hi, I’m Logan.”
“I—Lauren—hi!” she squeaks. Her cheeks turn redder than Santa’s suit as she latches on to his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Lauren.” He tries to pull his hand away, but she refuses to release her grip. His eyes widen, the whites taking over his irises.
